In our personal lives we are used to preceding anyone's name with the @ symbol - to tag them in an Instagram or Twitter post, or even on LinkedIn. Along with numerous other features to make collaboration easier, Microsoft Office 365 introduces 'Mentions' so you can tag your colleagues or project teammates in an email. Find out how it works below - then comment below to tell us how you get on with it.

Microsoft Office 365 Mentions

The focus of Mentions is on specific individuals. When collaborating on email, it is common to call out a specific person for an action or request. Another scenario is adding a person to an existing thread for their attention—perhaps you are on a thread and know that the person who can answer a question was not initially included. Using the Mentions feature ensures that the person is not only aware of the request but is also included in the thread.

To use Mentions, simply add the @ symbol in the body of an email. This will bring up your frequent contacts as well as access to your directory. Select the person you want to highlight, and they will automatically be added to the To:line if they were not already included. In addition, their name will be highlighted in the message in blue and they will receive an @ flag in their inbox view next to the message. Furthermore, they can sort by their @ messages to ensure they respond to all messages in which they were mentioned.

The Mention compose experience—highlight a person for action with the @ symbol.

When you’ve been mentioned, you will have an @ flag next to the message and can sort by Mentions.